In the middle of this extreme drought here in Southern Colorado, I’ve planted my yard in native grasses.  I watered just enough for the seeds to sprout.  BUT, I’m not wanting to water anymore for fear of running my well dry.  It’s that dry.  But I’ve got lots of good reasons for planting my yard.  Mainly to cut down on the dust, and give the deer something to munch on.  No plans for mowing at all.  I just want a natural meadow.  Now I’m leaving it up to Mother Nature,……. or should I say my God.

If we don’t get rains soon, this grass will die.  I find myself asking God for rain so that MY yard grass will grow.  I catch myself becoming concerned over this little patch of green turning brown.  I find myself facing the fact that God may not send the rains needed.  I Realize that God’s answer may be NO.

Ok, Ok,  this is small potatoes in the grand picture of my and your life in this world.  No big  deal whether my grass lives or dies.  But we all have wants and needs in our lives.  And the answer we hear concerning our wants sometimes is……. no, not now,……. ain’t happening.  That leads us to our next question.  Why am I hearing No?

I don’t think I’m being like a fussy kid in the candy store.  I seriously am not saying, “I want this and this and this.”  I’ve got no plans to throw a temper tantrum if I don’t get my way.  For all the right reasons I’ve got a want in my life. (it’s this little ole desire to see it rain).  My mind spins because…….. well, maybe I’ve not done something I should have done, maybe I’ve not been good enough, maybe I , maybe this and maybe that.

With these thoughts of God and how He interacts in my life, I find an answer to being told no.  The answer comes from a local rancher here in Colorado.  He didn’t even know my question, but he gave me the answer I was searching for.

I was on his place setting bee swarm traps. (It’s that time of year again.)  Looking around at his cattle and also seeing that his grass was more brown than green, I asked him, “how will you survive this extreme drought?”

His answer………..”I don’t know”……….. and that was that!

But his presence, his body language, his manner, (his being a Colorado Cowboy), gave me much more insight into this simple but complicated answer.

He has faced droughts before.  He has faced times of no rain, times of too much rain, times of well, living life on the ranch.  No need to figure out life’s good and bad.  Just need to live….admit that you don’t know…..and keep going.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God endures forever.  Isaiah 40:8

Such a mystery to all of us how bad things happen, why good things happen.  We spend enormous amounts of time trying to “figure out” the whys of life.  Maybe coming to the point in our life when we can comfortably say, “I don’t know” concerning spiritual and physical happenings in our lives is when we reach the point that TRUST and HOPE and FAITH become more than just words.

I say “I don’t know” more than I want to when asked about spiritual matters.I don’t know why bad things happen to good people.  I don’t know why circumstances catch up to some people but not others.  I don’t know if my puny yard of grass will live or die.  I don’t know , I don’t know, and I just don’t know.

But just like the rancher, there is a confidence in my answer of I don’t know.  You see, it’s not in realizing the answers to life that is important.  It’s realizing that my Lord is with me forever, no matter what!It’s not what you know, but WHO you know!!

I am someone who has let faith, trust, and beliefs as a Christian  take over my way of thinking about this life while here on Earth.

Call me a simpleton.  Call me naive.  CALL ME A CHRISTIAN!

See Ya!  Dan Ainsworth wilderness preacher